Tag Archives: law

No other law firm in history has voluntarily waived $500,000 in legal fees and absorbed $100,000 in expenses simply to help 500 first-time entrepreneurs incorporate; but that’s exactly how Jeff Unger, Los Angeles-based attorney and founder of eMinutes, a corporate law firm, spent most of the last 12 months. As of April 2, 2013, Mr. Unger announced he is ready to do it again, this time waiving nearly three-quarters of a million dollars – $725,000 – to help 725 first-time entrepreneurs in California, New York, Texas and the District of Columbia form their businesses for free.

“Today’s do-it-yourself-incorporation mentality and misinformation about business formation being provided by ‘experts’ who have no knowledge of the law is misleading inexperienced entrepreneurs,” said Jeff Unger, attorney and founder of eMinutes. “As a result, they end up with a business entity that may leave them exposed. At eMinutes, we are determined to provide as many first-time entrepreneurs as possible with the right counsel and guidance so their businesses have an honest opportunity to succeed.”

Jean Tsai is obsessed with food quality and she is also one of the 500 first-time entrepreneurs eMinutes helped in Phase I of the entrepreneur program. As an incorrigible lifelong snacker, she searched for a delicious and healthy snack that was made from sustainably grown real food ingredients. Never finding one, she decided to start Pop Karma after working in the corporate world and earning her Master’s Degree in Business Administration at Dartmouth College.

“The expertise eMinutes offers is superior. Like many entrepreneurs, I agonized over whether to be an S-Corp or an LLC, and even thought about incorporating by myself,” said Jean Tsai, founder of Pop Karma. “eMinutes provided exceptional guidance and asked the right questions that helped me decide what entity was right for my business. They made the entire process simple and incredibly fast – it would have taken a much greater investment of personal time on my part if I had done it on my own, and I wouldn’t been as successful.”

In Phase II of its entrepreneur program, eMinutes will waive 100% of its legal fees for eligible first-time entrepreneurs who demonstrate a sincere commitment to building their business, for example, a clearly-defined business plan or an active website. All eligible entrepreneurs must have retained the services of a CPA and agree to pay filing fees.

Christina Eisenstein, founder of Macaroon and one of eMinutes’ first 500 first-time entrepreneurs, fell in love with the French macaroon years ago, and decided to leave the advertising world for sweeter pastures. Although born in the Midwest, she comes from a long lineage of bakers in Paris and is committed to combining her French roots with the American palate. What she didn’t have was knowledge of how to form a business.

“eMinutes saved me money on legal fees that I was able put back into my business. They completed all the paperwork and submitted it quickly, with virtually no effort on my end,” said Eisenstein. “Their attorneys are professional, readily available and eager to help; they are truly champions for entrepreneurs.”

For more information on Phase II of the entrepreneur’s program and eMinutes corporate legal services, visit http://eminutes.com/entrepreneurs or call (310) 820-1000 in Los Angeles, (212) 772-7770 in New York, or (512) 942-1100 in Austin, Texas.

As reported in today’s legal press, Rocketlawyer, an established US legal documents and services brand, will be launching later this month in the UK.

In addition to offering a range of interactive online legal documents at a very competitive price, the company will also have a small number of selected panel solicitors who will assist with content for the Rocketlawyer website and will offer additional services to Rocketlawyer customers.

The fact that law firms will be working closely with Rocketlawyer means that a customer who wants to use one of the documents on the site and has completed most of the document but still has follow up questions or unusual requirements, will have access to expert, discounted legal advice.

As part of the discussions and criteria for panel membership, a law firm needs to satisfy Rocketlawyer that it has the right attitude to dealing with online legal customers, who expect not only high quality legal advice but excellent service. Firms must also demonstrate that they are active online and fully embrace the importance of the internet for the future of legal services.

The discussions between Darlingtons and Rocketlawyer did not take long to result in fruition. Both parties recognised that they have much in common and a very similar outlook.

James Swede, Managing Partner of Darlingtons comments, “As soon as I saw that Rocketlawyer were entering into the UK market I was interested in talking with them. I met with Mark Edwards of Rocketlawyer just a few days later, and it only took an hour over a coffee to quickly realise that they are the type of people we like doing business with and vice versa. Our online presence is very important to us and we recognise that there is big market for using online applications to make law easier and more cost effective. Our services will compliment and enhance the interactive documents provide by Rocketlawyer and in my view, any firm which sees interactive legal documents as a threat has a mistaken and shortsighted approach. Not only that but they will be swimming against a very strong tide”

The AV Preeminent® is a significant rating accomplishment – a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence. An extremely dedicated attorney, Bernard Walsh, was admitted into the Florida Bar Association in 1978 and has been actively serving the Florida justice system for 34 years.

Mr. Walsh obtained this AV Preeminent® rating by garnering the praise of his peers in an objective review by other bar members and judges. Reviewers rated Mr. Walsh on a number of factors including ethical standards and legal ability in the personal injury and wrongful death areas of practice.

Now a partner with the Florida personal injury law firm Shapiro Goldman Babboni & Walsh; Mr. Walsh has demonstrated his leadership in the Florida legal community by founding the Manasota Trial Lawyers Board, an organization of Southwest Florida’s prominent trial lawyers and by his years of service and successes in representing injured clients.

During the review process Mr. Walsh received praise from many Bar members. One such Attorney had this to say about Bernie Walsh, “I have known Mr. Walsh for many years and have defended cases brought by him. He is an excellent lawyer who cares deeply about his clients.” That reviewer rated Mr. Walsh 5 out of 5.

Another bar member remarked, “Definitely the “go to guy” for any questions regarding the practice of personal injury.” Comments like “I have known Mr. Walsh for many years and have defended cases brought by him. He is an excellent lawyer who cares deeply about his clients,” illustrated his worthiness to receive the rating of AV Preeminent®.

Attorney Bernard Walsh had this to say about his recognition by the AV Preeminent® rating “I am deeply honored by the comments of my fellow attorneys. It’s wonderful to have the years of hard work recognized. Receiving this honor helps my clients better understand the level of dedication and expertise we offer for their behalf.”

On July 3, 2012, a jury found that Escort, Inc. (www.escortradar.com) and Beltronics USA, Inc. (www.beltronics.com) infringed numerous claims in U.S. Patent Nos. RE39,038 and RE40,653. In particular, the jury held that Escort’s Passport 9500i, Passport 9500ix, and Passport iQ radar detectors, together with Beltronics USA’s GX65 radar detectors, directly infringe claims 3, 5, 6, 7, 25, 26, 27, and 28 of U.S. Patent No. RE39,038 (“the ‘038 patent”) and claims 22, 31, 32, 33, 38, and 41 of U.S. Patent No. RE40,653 (“the ‘653 patent”). The jury also found that Escort and Beltronics contributed to the infringement of claims 3, 5, 6, 7, 25, and 28 in the ‘038 patent and claims 22, 24, 31, 32, and 33 in the ‘653 patent. The jury further found that Escort’s Passport 9500ix and Passport iQ radar detectors, together with Beltronics USA’s GX65 radar detectors, infringe claim 24 of the ‘653 patent.

The ‘038 and the ‘653 patents are owned by Hoyt Fleming, an Idaho inventor of 37 U.S. Patents. On March 10, 2009, Mr. Fleming filed a complaint (Case Number 1:09-cv-00105-BLW, United States District Court District of Idaho) alleging that Escort and Beltronics USA infringed the ‘038 and the ‘653 patents. Escort alleged that certain claims of the Fleming patents were invalid because Steven Orr, while working for Cincinnati Microwave, Inc. in 1996, made Fleming’s invention earlier in time than Fleming. On July 3, 2012, after a trial spanning more than two-weeks that included live testimony from Steven Orr, John Kuhn (Escort’s Vice President of Engineering), and John Larson (Escort’s President), the jury refused to invalidate the above claims of the Fleming patents based upon Steven Orr’s alleged prior work.

“I am very happy with the jury’s verdict because the jury held that Escort and Beltronics are infringing two of my patents. I am looking forward to a future trial in which another jury will also find that Escort and Beltronics and many of their retailers, including Best Buy and Amazon.com, are willfully infringing a third of my radar detector patents, U.S. Patent No. RE41,905,” said Mr. Fleming. Mr. Fleming is represented by Mr. Michael S. Dowler ofPark, Vaughan, Fleming, and Dowler LLP in Houston, Texas. Escort and Beltronics USA are represented by Gregory F. Ahrens and Brett A. Schatz and of Wood Herron & Evans in Cincinnati, OH together with Steven B. Andersen of Holland and Hart in Boise, ID.

The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin is proud to present ProductsThatHurt.com – a website dedicated to informing consumers of the dangerous side effects and recalls of various defective drugs and medical devices in the United States.

ProductsThatHurt.com is hosted by the NC defective products lawyer team at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, and it provides information about recalls and the serious side effects of many dangerous drugs and medical devices –some that are still currently on the market. Visitors can stay current on the latest information about these dangerous drugs and medical devices through up-to-date blogs and can post comments and questions about their concerns.

ProductsThatHurt.com has been divided into distinct categories to make the website easier to navigate:

The site will feature frequently updated blogs about these categories and the various recalls of defective drugs and medical devices that affect consumers in North Carolina and throughout the United States. Through these blog posts and in-depth informative articles, readers can leave the website feeling better informed and updated about the various risks of dangerous drugs and medical devices that they may be taking or that may be suggested as a course of treatment by their doctors. Ultimately, the website will be a place for readers to educate themselves about recalls and potential dangers, while also providing them resources for getting legal help if they need it.

“There are many prescription drugs and medical devices on the market that are being promoted to help patients but that are actually proving to be quite harmful and to cause even more serious health problems in some cases,” said President James S. Farrin. “We want to give consumers the information they need about these defective products. We are also here to offer them the legal protection they may need if they feel that they have suffered serious side effects as a result of these dangerous products.”

You certainly can avoid jail time for your first and possibly even your second DUI provided you are dead serious to go through the procedures set forth by the Sobriety Courts which often are also called Drug and Specialty Courts. These courts are a recent novel approach and have been set up to reduce DUI/DWI s by helping recovery of offenders instead of punishment, following being there main goals and objectives:

Reduction of drug and alcohol consumption.

Eliminating substance use.

Reduce the incidence of repeat drinking and driving offenses.

Reducing the recidivism of offenders.

Reduce the number of cases being scheduled for trial, and the length of time between the date of offense and the date of sentencing. Decrease case backlog.

Reduce incarceration in local jails. Diverting offenders from jail.

Working under a “Jail Diversion” initiative, these Courts allow the integration of alcohol and drug treatment services with justice system case processing wherein the defense attorney and prosecutor work towards a speedy resolution of the case with an ultimate goal of addressing the defendant’s substance abuse issues.

The process involves the following pertinent steps:

• Placement of the defendant rapidly into meaningful substance abuse transitional sober living facility.
• Frequent testing to determine whether the defendant is using alcohol or other drugs.
• A team approach to the defendant’s treatment program including the judge, the treatment provider, probation, and the lawyers, as needed.
• Regular appearances of the defendant before the judge, on the record, to monitor program compliance

A Structured Sober Living facility plays a fundamental KEY role in the dynamics of Sobriety and Drug Courts . Most attorneys advise their clients to admit themselves in a sober home ahead of their first hearing. It is a no brainer of a strategy as it goes a long way to convince the court that you are serious about receiving help for your disease and never to get behind a wheel while under the influence of a mind altering substance. Sobriety Court Judges are not “itching” to send you to jail. They are well meaning individuals trying to keep you from hurting others or yourself. Period. Jail Sentence is their last resort. Your sincerity to help yourself will always prove to be your best advocate for keeping you from doing time.

Mandatory AA/NA meetings, random drug tests, living in a sober home are likely to apply. Reporting to the court, probation officer, being subjected to monitoring with a remote breathalyzer or ankle bracelet may or may not be part of the equation. Nonetheless, consider these “inconveniences” as a minor price for your freedom.

Thus, getting yourself admitted into a structured sober home is the mainstay of the approach. Enter Structured Living LLC, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The services provided by Structured Living LL, are an ideal fit for the DUI/DWI candidates that qualify under the above guidelines. Our “zero” tolerance and court friendly rules of stay that include random drug testing, curfew and daily monitoring, implemented through a resident house manager plus a supervisor, provide a practical and an economically preferred sentencing option to the criminal justice system for non violent alcohol & drug related offenses.

So, if you are seeking an economically viable and a court preferred defense option for a DUI or DWI, avoid jail and most importantly help yourself by remaining clean & sober call 734-846-0966 or visit www.soberooms.com for details. It may likely change your life for the better – forever.

Points Of Interest:-
Low One Time Admission Fee of $300 with $495 monthly charges.

Ann Arbor ranks among the very top few “recovery friendly” cities in the United States.

Reputable Local IOP, Counseling and Therapy Services Available. Most Residents Qualify For A “Bridge Card” From The State For Free Groceries.

Structured Living LLC is a subsidized “giveback” personal initiative, financed and managed by A Grateful Recovering Alcoholic Serving Drug Treatment Centers nationwide. It is not State funded and does not accept any donations or contributions.

Entertaining online consumer siteClaimsHeaven.co.uk has added a new free online game that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the personal injury compensation industry in the UK to their array of claims resources.

If you’ve ever wondered about the personal industry claims market, and whether those adverts promising massive payouts if you have “been injured in an accident at home, at work or on the road” actually encourage a culture where people see being injured as a chance to cash in, then ClaimsHeaven.co.uk has a lot of interesting information and resources that can explain the way this controversial industry works, and help those who need to make genuine compensation claims avoid being ripped off or seduced by the promises of unscrupulous companies.

The latest tool the site offers consumers is a new free online game called Train 2 Claim that “trains” the player to become a better personal injury claimant. It involves the player’s character walking down a typical street with manhole covers and loose paving slabs, and having the ability to move to avoid these potential trip hazards. If you step on them, you’ll fall over, getting more and more injured the more times it happens. When the timer is up, you go and visit a compensation claims company to see how you’ve done. You then get a chance to try again, helping you learn what you need to do to get a bigger payout!

As well as being entertaining, it is intended to illustrate the problems in the personal industry claims market in the UK right now, and highlight the methods companies use that could potentially persuade people to make claims. The site is all about supporting legitimate claimants and helping people to understand the pitfalls and scams that exist in the UK claims industry, and aims to present its information through insightful, fun and interesting methods like this game.

Train 2 Claim is free to play through any popular internet browser, and users don’t need to submit any personal details to get access to the game, or any of the other information or games and resources on the site.

Imagine a situation where both parents work and care is divided between both maternal and paternal grandparents. In an ideal world this arrangement would continue after a divorce or separation, but frequently all goodwill breaks down leaving children having to cope with new arrangements and often the loss or deterioration of a relationship with one or both sets of grandparents.

I often get asked ‘but what about my rights?’ by caring grandparents who are desperate to continue a relationship with their grandchildren. The sad, depressing, answer is that grandparents have no automatic right to make an application to the Court for contact or residence, unless the children have been living with them for at least 3 years.

Grandparents have an additional hurdle, of having to first apply to Court for‘leave’ to make an application. This application is sent to both parents, who have the opportunity to oppose, or agree to leave being granted. Only if the Judge is satisfied that it is in the child’s best interest for the application to be granted will the matter move to the next stage when a Judge will consider what, if any contact, there should be between grandparent and grandchild. That contact has to be viewed in context as often the children will be spending time with the ‘other’ parent. Frequently, the Court has to juggle complex arrangements to try to accommodate all members of the family (and the child’s school or social commitments).

The Government applauds grandparents for the vital role they play in shaping a child’s future, providing unpaid childcare so parents can return to work. However, since 1989 successive governments have so far refused to amend the law to provide grandparents the automatic right to make an application to the Court to preserve their unique relationship with grandchildren. Following the Family Justice Review, there has been a recommendation that Grandparents should be included in ‘parenting agreements’ setting out the time that children of separated parents should spend not only with Mum and Dad, but Granny and Grandpa too.

Whilst the judicial system may not be quick to help grandparents, I have used other dispute resolution such as mediation, collaborative law and family conferencing to assist in breaking the deadlock between family members and re-establishing contact.

Adoption can either be easy or it can be hard depending on how you do it. Fortunately there is a way to take a lot of the guess work and hassle out of adoptions in Alpharetta, hire a lawyer to handle the paper work. An attorney who is experienced with child custody and adoption cases can make the process faster and simpler.

For example the lawyer will know exactly what paperwork you will need to file and where to file it. He can also when you need to file it and how to file it. Beyond paperwork the attorney can know what objections you might face and how to overcome them. Attorneys can help persons do not meet traditional parental stereotypes including gays, singles and older persons adopt.

They can also help people navigate the legal maze that often surrounds overseas adoptions. In many cases adoption agencies and brokers will not tell you what perils might be standing in your way. Nor is there any guarantee than an agency has done its homework, filled out the right paperwork or met the legal qualifications.

In many cases the well-meaning volunteers at adoption agencies will not do that. Instead they will use one size fits all forms and little else leaving parents to handle the legal problems. It is entirely possible that there could be legal issues surrounding the adoption you are unaware of. You might not find out what they are until a summons server knocks on your door.

Bringing home a child and creating a home for him or her can be difficult enough so new parents may not have the time to take care of all the legal implications as well. In such a case a good lawyer with a lot of experience in adoptions in Alpharetta can be a lifesaver. He or she can take care all of the paperwork and legal details leaving the parents free to concentrate on their child.

Author and consultant David King Keller, President of the Keller Business Development Advisory Group, received the prestigious 2011 Law Firm Practice Development Award of Excellence from the Legal Marketing Association – Bay Area Chapter for his new book, 100 Ways To Grow A Thriving Law Practice, at a ceremony held last night at San Francisco’s Four Seasons Hotel.

The awarding judges noted, “Keller’s book is loaded with innovative and creative ways for a law firm to conduct business development.” 100 Ways To Grow A Thriving Law Practice was called “my bible” by Susan Roe, Director of Professional Development at the law firm of Gordon & Rees LLP. Roe also said, “The book is concise, to the point and highlights ways that are useful and practical. I highly recommend it as a reference book.” The long list of marketing and promotional techniques in the book comes from “over twenty years of using sales and marketing experience to grow business revenue for firms of all sizes, from the solo practitioner to an international Fortune 100 company,” stated author Keller. “Some of the 100 Ways are completely unique and offer opportunities never previously considered by many businesses,” said Keller. Keller recommends that the Chairman or Managing Partner of every firm take the book’s Business Development Rating Test.“Most firms will find out they are not taking advantage of many available business development opportunities,” asserts Keller.

“100 Ways To Grow A Thriving Law Practice will also help any professional services company grow their business revenue,” asserts Keller. The author says that, “if the reader only does ‘Way #17’ they should recognize a six to seven figure revenue gain within six to twelve months.”

As employment solicitors, we often think of harassment in the context of discrimination. What isn’t always understood is harassment in the wider sense.

The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (PHA) was originally introduced in the wake of the Jill Dando murder trial to protect people from stalkers. Now, it is increasingly being used by employees to protect them from conduct within the workplace.

The case of Iqbal v Dean Manson Solicitors [2011] heard by the court of Appeal (CA) on 15 February 2011 provides a timely reminder of what amounts to harassment under the PHA.

Mr Iqbal sued Dean Manson Solicitors (DMS) under the PHA on the basis that letters received by him from DMS, he said, amounted to harassment.

DMS had employed Mr Iqbal as an assistant solicitor for two months. During that time he had worked on a matter for Mr and Mrs Tahir whose fees were guaranteed by a third party Mr Butt. The clients failed to pay and in 2009 DMS brought proceedings under the guarantee against Mr Butt who instructed Mr Iqbal to act for him.

DMS wrote to Mr Iqbal on two occasions questioning his integrity and accusing him of serious conflict and conduct issues. It then wrote to him a third time asserting that he had misled the law society and the general public.

Mr Iqbal issued county court proceedings against DMS under the PHA. The county court initially rejected his claim on the basis that the letters could not amount to a course of conduct amounting to harassment.

Mr Iqbal appealed to the High Court which dismissed the appeal on the grounds that that the letters could not be said to be oppressive or unreasonable. That the third letter could be described as possibly amounting to harassment, but as a single incident, could not form a course of conduct.

The Court of Appeal began by asserting that each of the three communications was oppressive and unacceptable and amounted to a deliberate attack on Mr Iqbal’s professional and personal integrity.

Guy Crabtree, a partner at Pulley Watson, King & Lischer, P.A. in Durham, has been re-elected to the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ), a state-wide association of attorneys who protect the rights of all North Carolinians in civil and criminal cases. The election took place at the association’s annual convention currently being held at the Hilton Riverside in Wilmington. Mr. Crabtree has been an active member of the organization since 1978 and has previously served as Vice-President for Education and Vice-President for Communications. During the 2010 -11 term, he will serve as President-Elect and is scheduled to take on the Presidency in June 2011.

Mr. Crabtree has over 30 years of legal experience and is best known for his representation of victims in auto wrecks caused by drunk drivers, polluters in environmental and toxic tort cases, medical malpractice and nursing home negligence. In 1983, he began as a partner with King, Walker, Lambe & Crabtree. Then, in 1999 he became a partner at Pulley, Watson, King & Lischer, P.A. where he currently practices in Durham.

Mr. Crabtree attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he attained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He holds his law degree from North Carolina Central University, where he graduated with honors, and was admitted to the State Bar in 1978. Mr. Crabtree work has been rated “AV”, the highest rating for legal ability and general ethical standards set by Martindale-Hubbell, a respected national legal directory. In addition, Mr. Crabtree has been included on the lists of The Best Lawyers in America by Woodward/White and Super Lawyers of North Carolina .

The NC Advocates for Justice (NCAJ) and its 4,000 members are dedicated to protecting the rights of all North Carolinians. NCAJ provides continuing legal education for lawyers aimed at enhancing the quality of the legal profession, offers public education programs aimed at enhancing public access and understanding of the legal system, amicus briefs for the appellate courts, and advocacy work at the legislature in the areas of criminal and civil justice. The association has served its members for over 45 years.

Philip A Baddour Jr., a partner at Baddour, Parker & Hine, PC in Goldsboro, has been elected President of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ), a state-wide association of attorneys who protect the rights of all North Carolinians in civil and criminal cases. The election took place at the association’s annual convention currently being held at the Hilton Riverside in Wilmington. He recently served as the association’s President-Elect, and previously served as Legislative Vice President and as a member of the NCAJ Board of Governors.

Today, Mr. Baddour replaces David Pishko of Elliot Pishko Morgan P.A. (Winston-Salem), who held the position of President in 2009-2010. Mr. Baddour is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1967. He brings 41 years of experience to his practice of Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, Social Security Disability and Civil Litigation. Mr. Baddour represents the Goldsboro Housing Authority, Wayne Community College and the Village of Walnut Creek. Additionally, he is a certified mediator and frequently mediates cases for attorneys across Eastern North Carolina.

A native of Goldsboro, Mr. Baddour was formerly a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives where he served as the Majority Leader in the House for two terms. He has also served on the Commission for the Future of the Courts in North Carolina, the North Carolina Economic Development Board and the North Carolina Board of Transportation. He is a past president of the Goldsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, the Wayne County Economic Development Commission and the Goldsboro Rotary Club. Also, Mr. Baddour is a retired Colonel with the North Carolina National Guard, where he served as Staff Judge Advocate.

The NC Advocates for Justice (NCAJ) and its 4,000 members are dedicated to protecting the rights of all North Carolinians. NCAJ provides continuing legal education for lawyers aimed at enhancing the quality of the legal profession, offers public education programs aimed at enhancing public access and understanding of the legal system, amicus briefs for the appellate courts, and advocacy work at the legislature in the areas of criminal and civil justice. The association has served its members for over 45 years.

Gregory Taylor, an innocent man wrongly-convicted of murder in Raleigh , and the attorneys involved in his 2010 release, have been honored with the NC Advocates for Justice (NCAJ)’s prestigious Kellie Crabtree Award. The award was presented to Greg Taylor; Raleigh criminal defense attorney Joseph B. Cheshire, V; then Public Defender Maitri “Mike” Klinkosum; and Christine Mumma, Director of NC Actual Innocence Commission. The award was presented at NCAJ’s annual convention currently being held at the Hilton Riverside in Wilmington.

The Kellie Crabtree Award recognizes clients and attorneys in cases that make a real difference in protecting people’s rights. Gregory Taylor spent 16 years in prison for a murder conviction that was based partly on incomplete lab test results until his case was reviewed by the North Carolina Innocence Commission.

The NC Advocates for Justice also presented the Honorable I. Beverly Lake, Jr., former Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court who founded the North Carolina Actual Innocence Commission, with a Special Award recognizing his contributions to justice.

The NC Advocates for Justice (NCAJ) and its 4,000 members are dedicated to protecting the rights of all North Carolinians. NCAJ provides continuing legal education for lawyers aimed at enhancing the quality of the legal profession, offers public education programs aimed at enhancing public access and understanding of the legal system, amicus briefs for the appellate courts, and advocacy work at the legislature in the areas of criminal and civil justice. The association has served its members for over 45 years.

Quigal.com is celebrating its national launch with a sweepstakes campaign, which will award the winner an Amazon Kindle.

Quigal.com offers users the ability to search online for top-tier attorneys in their local market. “We felt that giving away a Kindle was the perfect way to launch our product nationally,” said Founder and CEO, Renate Harrison. “The Kindle is an innovative new device that is changing the way people read books and, similarly, Quigal is innovative and new and changing the way the people search for attorneys.”

The sweepstakes will run for a period of two months and participants can enter several ways: (i) by leaving feedback on Quigal’s website – Quigal employees are looking forward to reading the feedback and will consider any added features or changes visitors suggest; (ii) by becoming fans of Quigal on Facebook; and finally, (iii) by becoming followers of Quigal on Twitter.

Quigal.com is one of the first attorney search websites to make extensive use of social networking. Moreover, Quigal.com allows its attorneys to link to their own social networking sites. This is a feature that many other attorney search sites have not yet exploited. Harrison noted that, “At Quigal, we strive to run our site in a way that matches how visitors and businesses use the internet. Many businesses and professionals make use of social networking sites to promote their trade and it just seemed natural that Quigal would allow its attorneys to link to them as well.”

Quigal, LLC, a leading provider of online attorney search services in Massachusetts , announced today that it will be offering nationwide service. Quigal.com is an attorney search engine that allows users to easily search for and quickly contact top quality legal professionals located in their area. Quigal first launched its initial beta website in Massachusetts in October of last year.

“Quigal.com has continued to grow as expected and we are excited to bring this service to users nationwide,” commented Renate Harrison, founder and CEO. “The entire country can now have access to quality attorneys anytime.”

Since first launching its site, Quigal.com has been steadily changing the way the public searches for attorneys online. Its attorney search service allows a user to simultaneously contact up to ten distinguished attorneys by geographical location and practice area.

In preparation for launching nationwide, Quigal.com made sure its database infrastructure was ready to handle the challenges of going national. “We took the time we needed to make sure that our national launch would go smoothly and seamlessly, we know our users expect nothing less,” explained Harrison .

In conjunction with its national launch, Quigal.com has also announced that it will be running a sweepstakes campaign. More information regarding that campaign can be found by visiting www.Quigal.com.

De Graauw Legal Services specializes in assisting employees who are confronted with summary dismissal and are subject to Dutch law which is also referred to as Ontslag op staande voet in dutch legal terms.The firm also helps individuals dealing with settlement terms and Termination Agreement also referred as vaststellingsovereenkomst and Beëindigingsovereenkomst.

Most individuals focus on the direct financial damage such a dismissal can cause through loss of unemployment benefit, salary and severance pay. However another very important aspect in these cases that is too often neglected is formed by possible career damage.

According to the founder and managing director Roland de Graauw LL.M “When no regulation concerning secrecy and statements to third parties is agreed upon, such a dismissal can pursue the client in the future.” This is especially the case when the client worked a long time for the company involved as under these circumstances chances increase that the former employer will be contacted in a selection procedure by a possible future employer increase. When the former employer, that fired the client on the spot due to culpable actions, informs the inquirer, the client can forget about the new job. Also, lying about a summary dismissal can according to jurisprudence be a ground for dismissal for the new employer. Therefore it is essential to agree upon a regulation which includes secrecy as well as a conversion of the summary dismissal to a termination by mutual consent on neutral grounds.

Degraauw legal services assists individuals in dealing with their employment dismissal cases and provides them with swift legal assistance.

The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin is proud to announce that Attorney Barry Jennings has recently passed the exam to become a Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law.

Board Certified Specialists are lawyers certified by the North Carolina State Bar as having demonstrated special knowledge, skill and proficiency in a specific area of law. The certification process for workers’ compensation law requires at least five years of substantial involvement practicing workers’ compensation law, completing at least 36 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits in workers’ compensation and related legal fields, a satisfactory review by at least five legal peers, and passing a comprehensive written examination.

Prior to joining the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin in 2006, Jennings worked as a defense attorney defending employers against the claims of injured workers. This experience has given him a keen appreciation for workers’ compensation law from both sides of the table.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law, Jennings currently represents workers who have suffered serious injuries as a result of a work accident. He is a member of The Order of Barristers, the Workplace Injury Litigation Group and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.

Four of the six Board Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation law practicing in the city of Durham work for the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin. In addition, James Scott Farrin Attorney Rick Fleming is a Board Certified Specialist in Social Security Disability Law.

“We are committed to providing top notch legal talent for our clients,” says Founder and President James S. Farrin. “We believe that our experienced, capable attorneys, including our Board Certified Specialists, can make a difference in our client’s cases.”

ABOUT THE FIRM
Founded: 1997 by James S. Farrin, Duke University School of Law, J.D. (1990) in Durham

Number of employees: Approximately 130, including 24 attorneys. Approximately 20 staff members are fluently bilingual, speaking English and Spanish.

Presently leading one of the largest civil rights cases in United States history: In re Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation, Case No. 08-mc-0511 (PLF) (D.D.C.), which deals with the United States Department of Agriculture’s discrimination against African-American farmers.

The firm’s many philanthropic pursuits include Duke Children’s Hospital, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The firm has a matching-gift program wherein it matches an employee’s philanthropic contributions.

Quigal, LLC announced today that it was launching its attorney search web site for residents of Massachusetts. Quigal’s site allows the public to search for attorneys who have impressive educational backgrounds or substantial work experience in complex legal matters and allows users to communicate with multiple attorneys quickly and easily. During the initial launch period, attorneys authorized to practice law in Massachusetts are invited to register with the site free of charge until April 1, 2010.

For Quigal attorney members, a unique feature of the web site is that the number of attorneys who can register is limited to ten per zip code, which increases each registered attorney’s visibility vis-à-vis potential clients.

The inspiration for Quigal came from attorneys and clients who complained about the poor quality of existing directory services, both online and print, recalled Renate Harrison, Quigal co-founder. “My colleagues complained that existing directories contained so many lawyers that the odds of engaging a client were too low to justify the expense, while users felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of attorneys they had to choose from and the multiple pages of information they had to fill out,” Harrison noted. “So I asked what I thought was a simple question: how can we improve the way clients find lawyers online? I believe Quigal is the answer.”

As of today, Massachusetts residents can begin using Quigal. Quigal is built on the idea that users should have confidence in the quality of attorneys made available to them on attorney search sites, and that the number of registered attorneys should be limited, so that each attorney has a realistic opportunity to engage clients. Key features of Quigal include:

• Search: Quigal enables the public to search for attorneys by zip code, city, state, practice area, or law school attended. Quigal also permits potential clients to search for attorneys who are available for a live chat.

• Exclusivity: Quigal attorney members who subscribe to a zip code always appear on the first page search results for that zip code. A maximum of ten attorneys can register for each zip code.

• Quality: Quigal only registers attorneys who have graduated from a top-tier law school or who have substantial work experience managing complex legal matters.

• Ease of Use: Quigal offers several options for potential clients to contact attorney members. A simple online query form and attorney profiles with full contact information appear on every search results page. Also, a live chat option allows potential clients to chat real-time with attorneys. Quigal also allows its registered attorneys to link to their social and professional networking sites (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.).
In the coming months, Quigal will be rolling out its web site nationally, as well as introducing new site features.

Are you interested in registering with Quigal? Please visit Quigal’s website at www.quigal.com. For more information about Quigal, please contact Renate Harrison.

Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP has won £84,000 in compensation for Mr B, a 67 year old man from Hayes who contracted lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos dust whilst working as a labourer for Cape Building Products Limited in the 1960s.

During his 18 months at Cape Building Products, Mr B was heavily exposed to asbestosdust in the course of his work. His tasks included handling sacks of raw asbestos which he was required to open and empty out.

Generally it is very difficult to prove the connection between lung cancer and asbestos exposure where the sufferer has not first contracted asbestosis. In this case Mr B had also smoked heavily for most of his adult life, making it even harder to establish the connection.

Michael Osborne, solicitor in the Asbestos Claims Group at Field Fisher Waterhouse, was able to negotiate a settlement from Cape Building Products’ insurer with the help of a medical report proving that asbestosis did not need to be present for a patient’s lung cancer to be attributed to asbestos exposure. Mr B received a settlement of £84,000 in compensation which took into account a deduction of 17.5 % to reflect his history of smoking.

Michael Osborne, senior associate in the Asbestos Claims Group at Field Fisher Waterhouse, commented: “I am pleased that we were able to prove the connection between Mr B’s lung cancer and his exposure to asbestos at Cape Building Products in the 1960s. Despite being exposed to asbestos dust for only a short time, this was enough for him to contract a serious disease. This settlement will provide Mr B and his family with the necessary means to cover the costs of his ongoing care.”

Mr B’s son said: “I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of my father and myself, to thank the firm for the professional and sympathetic way they have dealt with our claim. On a personal note, I would like to thank Michael for making such a big difference to our situation.”

Notes to editors:
Case number: 44605.1

About Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP:
Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP is a full service European law firm with offices in Brussels, Hamburg, Paris, London and Manchester and exclusive relationships with Spanish firm Jiménez de Parga and Italian firm, La Scala. The firm has over 120 partners, 220 other lawyers and nearly 300 support staff. Field Fisher Waterhouse assists a wide range of international clients, advising across the full range of legal issues.

The international client base includes listed and unlisted companies, multinationals, banks and other financial institutions, professional partnerships, trade associations and Government departments. A distinctive feature of the firm is its industry focus, acknowledged as leading experts in the public sector, technology and media sectors.